The Pretoria City Hall was erected on a piece of vacant land indicated as 'Drooge Klip Bult' (Dry, rocky outcrop) on Pretoria's first map of 1859. The City Hall celebrates the status of 'city' obtained in 1931. The building resulted from an architectural competition, won by FG McIntosh in 1926.

Due to economic depression, work could only start in 1931, by which time McIntosh had passed away and his assistant, John Lockwood Hall had taken over the resposibility.